On Saturday evening, a Waymo vehicle in San Francisco’s Chinatown became the target of a rowdy crowd who proceeded to set it on fire, according to the police.
Around 9:30 p.m., a group of approximately 10 to 15 individuals encircled the self-driving vehicle on the streets of San Francisco, as reported by the San Francisco Police Department. The incident occurred between Stockton and Grant.
The autonomous vehicle was completely destroyed.
The vehicle between Stockton and Grant was surrounded by a crowd. (SFPD)
According to a Waymo spokesperson, the vehicle was not carrying any passengers at the time, and thankfully, there were no reported injuries.
The motive behind the crowd’s act of destroying the vehicle remains unclear. As of Sunday, no arrests have been made.
As the vehicle passed through the crowd, a firework was unexpectedly thrown inside, causing it to ignite. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) reported this incident.
According to a spokesperson from Waymo, the company based in Mountain View is collaborating with local safety officials to address the situation.
As of Sunday, there have been no arrests made, according to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).
The San Francisco police issued a reminder to residents on Sunday, emphasizing that the use of fireworks in the city is strictly prohibited due to their potential to cause death, injury, and property damage.